Authorities in Arakan state, which runs along the west coast of Myanmar, have proposed the development of nine new beach resorts, the independent Irrawaddy news site reports.

Arakan is already home to Ngapali Beach, one of Myanmar’s most popular stretches of seafront, and to further take advantage of the state’s natural assets, the local government has proposed to create seven new beach resorts in the Gwa Township and two in Thandwe Township.

Formerly known as Rakhine state, Arakan stretches along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, from Bangladesh in the northwest to the Irrawaddy Delta in the southeast. Both Gwa and Thandwe are located in the southern part of the state.

“We found seven locations in Gwa Township. The beaches are pretty nice. And we intend to establish hotel zones,” said Arakan’s regional minister for finance, revenue & economics, U Kyaw Aye Thein.

Once these sites are confirmed, developers will be invited to invest in the projects. And while no definite timeframe was agreed, the minister said that development work would commence “very soon”.

Gwa is one of the least developed areas of Arakan state, and mainly home to fishing villages. Its beaches are moderately popular among locals, but it is a far cry from neighbouring Ngapali Beach which is lined with resorts and restaurants. The Irrawaddy also reports that the state and national governments are in the process of upgrading the highway to Gwa.

Thandwe, which was formerly known as Sandoway, is the largest city in the area and the main gateway to Ngapali Beach.